11 Healthiest Vegetables On Earth

 

We all know veggies are great for our health. They’re loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals while being low on calories. This makes them a nutritious choice when you’re on a weight loss diet. But not all veggies are created equal. In today’s article, we will be talking about the 11 healthiest vegetables on earth.

Did swiss chard and Brussel sprouts make it on our list? What about asparagus and spinach? Is red cabbage really good for you? We’ll be talking about all of this or more.

Benefits of vegetable list

1. Spinach

There’s a reason Popeye chose spinach. This veggie has amazing superpowers thanks to all its nutrients. Spinach is one vegetable loaded with nutrients. Eating one cup of raw spinach will not just give you all your Vitamin K for the day, it also gives more than half the Vitamin A your body needs.

You get all this at the cost of just 7 calories. Spinach also comes with a number of antioxidants, especially beta-carotene and lutein. I don’t want to overwhelm you with big, complicated words. But these antioxidants are amazing, people.

A study showed these particular antioxidants helped reduce your chances of cancer. Spinach is easy to add to your diet. You can eat it raw with your salad, or juice it up along with other green veggies like cucumber, celery, and mint.

Green juice is really good for you. But if you’re worried about the taste, just relax. Who said spinach always tastes gross? You can make a delicious antioxidant-rich smoothie by blending this green leafy veggie with lots of blueberries, strawberries, and a few mint leaves.

Experiment with different flavors. And of course, there are lip-smackingly delicious options out there. You can always go for a spinach omelet. Spinach and cottage cheese curry tastes amazing!

Spinach artichoke zucchini bites are great snack options that you can serve guests. Don’t forget tomato, beetroot, and spinach soup.

2. Carrots

If Popeye ate spinach to get stronger, Bugs Bunny ate carrots to get smarter. This isn’t an either/or situation. You can boost your antioxidant levels by eating both veggies together. Just like spinach, carrots are super loaded with vitamin A and antioxidants.

Maybe it’s time you try carrot, tomato, and spinach quinoa. Just one cup of carrots has as much as 428% of the Vitamin A you need in a day. They are also rich in Vitamins C and K, as well as potassium. This is why carrot is one of the top choices for healthy nuts.

Carrot also has the antioxidant beta-carotene, which reduces your risk of cancer. A study showed that when participants ate carrots daily, their chances of prostate cancer reduced by 5% for every serving of carrot each week.

This means with every week, their chance went down by 5%, even if you ate just one serving. Amazing, right? Carrots are also a must-have veggie if you’re a smoker.

In a study among smokers, those who did not include carrots as a part of their diet had a 3x greater chance of lung cancer than those that ate them. You can eat carrots on your own or make pudding.

Carrot Chicken Patties and Carrot Crust Pizza is a uniquely delicious way to enjoy this veggie. My favorite sinful carrot delicacy is Instant Pot Honey Butter Carrots. Smoothie lovers can go for a protein-powered mango and carrot smoothie.

Top it up with roasted pecans and pumpkin seeds for additional health benefits.

3. Broccoli

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable containing tons of nutrients. Just one cup will give you more than double the Vitamins K and C you need for the day. Along with vitamins, you also get a significant amount of manganese and potassium.

Broccoli contains a special plant compound that produces a by-product called sulforaphane. Experts have found it to be effective in reducing breast cancer cells. It also stopped the growth of a tumor.

How you eat broccoli is a huge deciding factor in its benefits. It contains heat-sensitive compounds. This means no deep-frying. Eating broccoli raw in your salad is a great approach.

Steaming is the best way to eat it. Light sauteing with tofu is also good. Sprinkle a little black salt, and squeeze a bit of lemon for added taste. Your delicious broccoli tofu salad is ready to eat.

4. Brussels sprouts                                   

Brussels sprouts are another type of cruciferous vegetable rich in nutrients. One serving is enough to load you up with vitamins K and C, along with important minerals. You’ll get a generous amount of folate, manganese, and potassium.

More importantly, this vegetable also has a particular antioxidant, which is useful in reducing cell damage. Eating Brussels sprouts helps detox your body as well.

A study showed eating this green veggie reduced your chances of prostate cancer. This is because Brussels sprouts help increase the specific enzymes that control your body’s detoxification.

They can do this by 15 to 30%. You can eat Brussel sprouts on their own after sauteeing them lightly. Another delicious option is sauteed Brussel sprouts with smoked bacon.

5. Garlic

Do you love garlic toast? Well here’s a reason to eat it more. Garlic comes with a compound, which is the reason behind its various health benefits. Experts found that garlic oil can help reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics. It can also increase insulin sensitivity.

A study was conducted, involving healthy participants, as well as those who had heart disease. Both groups were given garlic. Regardless of whether they suffered from heart disease or not, participants showed a marked decrease in cholesterol.

The best part is that garlic is versatile. You can easily add it to your soups, noodles, and pizza. Trust me, tofu garlic pizza with mushrooms tastes terrific.

6. Kale

Kale is a leafy vegetable popular for its health benefits. One cup gives your body a lot of B vitamins, potassium, calcium, and copper. The same quantity is also enough to meet your body’s daily requirements for vitamins A, C, and K.

Kale also comes with antioxidants that improve your heart’s health. A study of men with high cholesterol showed drinking 150 ml of kale juice every day for 12 weeks improved antioxidant activity in the body. This reduced blood cholesterol levels.

7. Green peas

Under normal circumstances, peas would not be the first choice for health-conscious people. They’re really starchy. Starchy vegetables come with a lot of carbs, which impact your blood sugar levels if you eat them in large amounts. At the same time, eating one cup of cooked green peas provides you with vitamins A, C, and K.

You’ll also get lots of B vitamins like thiamin and niacin, along with folate. Peas also have a special compound with an anti-cancer impact on your body.

Studies show this compound can aid in stopping the growth of tumor cells as well as killing cancer cells.

8. Swiss chard

This is the ideal veggie. It’s low in calories but high in vitamins and minerals. One cup of Swiss chard has only 7 calories but is rich in vitamins A, C, and K along with manganese and magnesium.

Swiss chard can play a major role in fighting diabetes. Experts have found chard extract can decrease blood sugar levels. As a result, reversing the effects of diabetes. It even stopped cell damage.

9. Asparagus

Asparagus is a spring vegetable. It’s filled with nutrients and would be a great addition to your diet. Eating just half a cup of asparagus is enough to give your body one-third of the folate it needs for the day.

Along with folate, asparagus also gives your body generous amounts of selenium, vitamin K, and B vitamins. Pregnant women need folate specifically. By eating asparagus, you get lots of folates, which further ensures there are no birth defects during pregnancy.

Studies have also shown that asparagus helps your liver. It protects it against toxins and also helps in proper metabolic function.

10. Ginger

Ginger is an extremely popular root spice in India. It’s recommended by holistic experts to help boost immunity against sinus infections. It specifically helps with motion sickness and nausea.

An analysis of various studies, involving more than 1300 pregnant women found that ginger helped reduce nausea effectively. Another study has shown that ginger can aid in treating diabetes too.

In the study, participants took ginger supplements for 12 weeks. At the end of the period, their blood sugar levels were significantly lower.

11. Red cabbage

Here’s another cruciferous vegetable rich in antioxidants and nutrients. If you eat just one cup of raw red cabbage, you will give your body as much as 85% of the vitamin C it requires every day. Red cabbage also aids in reducing cholesterol in your body.

Research has found that eating red cabbage lowers your cholesterol level, protecting your heart from damage.